Ampule cutter



Aug. 5, 1947. j D W. FOSLE-R 2,425,093

AMPULE CUTTER Filed May' 6, 1944 Tim jatente'dr ug. 5, i914? LUNII'ED STAT-ES I 2 JClaims.

The present invention relates toa-1an amp'ule cutter, .and the primary object of the yinventiorrris to providean instrument, simple in construction, substantially automatic -in operation, andirsubstantially fool-proof, which oan'be used' quickly by a .physicial to make :the necessaryscoresmark upon the neck of an ampule, or the like, toprovide for a clean, sure break'when `theseal'ecl'erld of the ampule is removed by the: physician. Of

course, the instrument has other uses,r sinceiit lated objects, my invention mayfbe embodied vin the form illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, attention. being calledto the fact, however, J

that thedrawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made inthe specific construction illustrated. and described, .so long as `the scope of the-appended claims is'not violated.

` Eig. l lis a side elevation of'an instrument constructedin accordance Withmy invention, parts beingl shown in section Vfor clarity of illustration;

lFigf2 'is an enlarged 'fragmental 'elevation of the forward Vend of .the -.plunger forming a, part of the present invention,the tip thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding View of the plunger, taken. at right anglesto the planeof Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form -of the. invention; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the instrument of Fig. 4, viewed vfrom the right of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawingsit will be seen that my instrument comprisesa barrel or body I carrying, at-one"end, a hookjII formedto provide anV angular recess I2 dened by walls I3 and I4, the angular interval between which is less than 90 for a reason which will appear. eluded between the'wa'lls'l and I4.

Reciprocably mounted in the barrel I0 is a. plunger I urged by a spring IB within said barrel toward the recess I2. A plug I'I is threadedly received in the lower end. of the barrel III and acts as an abutment for the spring I6.

I consider 84 to beV the ideal angle in- @The `L'barrel .I isi-*formedv with a- Ylongitudinal slot i'llfsthroughfi-which projects 'the stem I9 yof a ithumb; buttonl-'Z said 'stem 'I 9 `vbeinglth'readedly engaged;l in ausuitable transversebore A`in the plunger I5. At itsr'outerextremity, the plunger I5. carries a-diamond-Z'I.

'Itwill ibelseen' that, viii? thefbar'r'el JI E) 'is' held in the: .operators hand, tthe -b'utton -26 can readily besengaged` .by. the 'operators rthur'nlo 'to-retract the plunger :I 'against the tendencyof the spring I6. Nowtherne'ck of-lanlampule canine entered-fin thefhook .II ,'n throughthe "open-iside ftl'iereof, and placedfin. theirecess I2. 'If'theplungerfv -I 5 is now released; :the springwII'-V Willnmove the-plungerl -"I 5 upwardly. untillthe diamond 2 I I engages -thelneck of: zthe; ampu'le'l-to'hold the .same in the recess I2. Ifzit'he ampulefis` now.I rotated about its long-airis, the." diamond'i! I will :score: itheexternal fsurface oftherampul'e:isharplyn-ardfcleanly-so ltl-iat the ampuleneck canI-.bebr'okeniisrnoothly.

= Ithave found, by actualexperimentationthat, if.xtherangleiincluded `between the wallsr fI 3- and il l isfas larger-as theiampulew-ill -notibe retained steadily in the-.recess I2, but-will shift, invone-directi'onzior `theiother;Ialong"tlie 'fw`all I3 or I 4, `during.:` r0tation,i 'd"epending .up'onn the-f direction of rotation. Thuszfi'f thef" ngle. included lb'etvveen thefwallzlfand. theaxisioftheflplunger.is as ylarge as1145 :rotation :Ofi an -lampulel Lin a, `counterelock- -wise'i direction,1.1asiviewedini-Fig.l 1', iwliile -held in the Yrecess by I: .the .is'pringpress'ed Y plunger, y will wadly @5a-long the Wall FI 3,--a iga"inst` lthe resistance ofV :the-spring 11.6, whereby-#the ampule -isv moved outLofs'proper: cooperative relation'vwith thediamondi 2 I. 2` IfJtlfie maximum lateral distance betweemtheiwall .='I 3.an'd`theplunger I5 -is as largejas, ongreaterithangithe diameter of anampule-neck beingfscored,1.;that tendency-:Will--- cause the arnpuleitofbe-:'movedntirelyput ofeco'operati-ve Irelationifwit'h .ithed-iamod; land- -fto becaughty betweenthe yplunger-'a'n'd ithe adjacentwallsfof; the ho'ok. '.:Suclnf4 an voccurrence -may` 'frequently resu1t ..=indama`gelit0, or breakageof; the ampiile. t0n ;thexotlier handfl'have' found that if the'a'nigle included'betw'ee'n ,the walls* I Sgand -I 4 is substantiallysless ltl'ian` 90, andpaiticularly'f the. maXimuni:- lateral distance' Lbetween ltlm-:4- `Wa'l1"^I 3 "and the :plungerY I5 .islessi than thediamet'er of: an -ampule neck being scored, the ampulerneck is retained steadily and solidly in the recess I2. I now believe an angle of 84 to be optimum; and preferably the axis of the plunger will bisect the angle included between the walls I3 and I4.

It is to be noted that the hook I I lies in a plane including the axis of the body I0, and that the slot I8 likewise lies in that plane and on the side of the body adjacent the free end of the hook. As a consequence, when a user of my cutter takes the tool in hand for use, it falls naturally into a position in which the button 2D and the open side of the hook face the user, whereby the axis of an ampule or the like to be cut is directed into a substantially horizontal position transverse to the user. In other Words, the location of the slot l and the thumb piece 20 i'n the illustrated relation is calculated to result in maximum convenience for the user of the instrument.

The manner of securing the diamond 2| in place in the end of the plunger I5 is an important feature of the present invention. I have found, in actual practice, that unless the diamond is set with considerable care and with due regard for the conditions under which the instrument will be used, it is likely to become loose, in which case the score line made upon the article to be cut will not be smooth and clean; and crevices will be opened between the diamond and its setting, permitting foreign matter to be retained, and creating an aseptic condition. The formation of any crevice is particularly undesirable in an instrument which is to be thrown into a steam sterilizer, since moisture will enter the crevice and may very possibly produce corrosion which, of course, will exaggerate the crevice and the undesirable conditions resultant therefrom.

After considerable experimentation, I have found what I now consider to be the optimum means of mounting the diamond 2|. The end of the plunger l5 is formed with a socket or cavity 24, preferably in the form of a truncated pyramid having a plane or part-cylindrical floor, The diamond 2| selected for use will preferably have a substantially Wedge shaped edge 22, as Will be clear from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3; and its base 23 Will preferably be larger, in all dimensions, than its outer end. The cavity 24 will be packed with silver-solder, and the base of the. diamond will be buried in the mass of silversolder, leaving only a small portion of the outer end of the diamond projecting beyond the plane including the thin peripheral lips of the cavity. Now, the lips of the cavity will be spun or otherwise turned inwardly, as indicated at 26, to overlie the mass of silver-solder 25, and preferably to come into actual engagement with the body of the diamond 2| about its entire perimeter. Be-

cause of the funnel shape of the cavity 25, the terminal portions of the cavity lips will be very thin and fiexible, so that they can be worked readily into intimate engagement with the entire perimeter of that portion of the diamond located at the surface of the mass of silver-solder 25. Thereafter, the completed end of the plunger is brought to a temperature of about 1200u F., whereby the mass of silver-solder is, in eiect, Welded to the shaped lips of the cavity to produce a complete and permanent seal about the diamond.

I have found that this form of setting very satisfactorily provides a firm and permanent mounting for the diamond, and that, over long periods of relatively rough use and repeated sterilizations of the instrument, the diamond does not become loosened, and crevices do not form about its perimeter.

The instrument thus far described is intended for the physician to carry with him for instant use Wherever he may be. In his oce, or in clinics, laboratories, hospitals, and the like, it will be desirable to mount such an instrument permanently so that it will always be available to any worker, and will not be inadvertently carried away. To that end, I may provide for the instrument above described a mounting bracket indicated generally at 21 and to which the barrel ||J of the instrument will preferably be soldered or Welded, or otherwise permanently secured. Said bracket is formed to provide a pair of feet 28 and 29 adjacent the midpoint of the slot I8, and a thirdvfoot 30 projecting beyond the rearward end of the barrel, said feet being perforated to receive'fastening screws 3|, 3| which may be set into a vertical or horizontal Wall, cabinet. or table surface, thus permanently mounting the instrument for use.

I am aware of the existence of the expired patent to Francisco Foz Bello No. 1,584,572; but for reasons which will be apparent from the above disclosure, the present invention constitutes an improvement over the disclosure of that patent? involving the novel features recited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An instrument for perimetrally scoring glassware and the like comprising a tubular body, a spring-pressed glass-cutting plunger axially reciprocably mounted in said body and axially projecting at one end therefrom, a retaining hook xedly associated with said body at said end and formed to define a iirst portion having a wall inclined away from the axis of said body and in the direction of projection of said end, a second portion having a wall joined to said rst wall and inclined toward the axis of said body in the direction of projection of said end and meeting said axis in an angle less than 43, and a third portion having a wall joined to said second wall substantially at its intersection with said body axis, said third wall being inclined outwardly f from said axis but toward said body at an angle less than 43 to said axis, and terminating in a free end spaced from said body.

2. The instrument of claim 1 in which said l.: hook portionsdefine a common plane and said body is formed with an axially extending slot disposed in said plane, and a thumb button fixed to said plunger and projecting through said slot for manual manipulation of said plunger.

Y DAVID W. FOSLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED `STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,584,572 Bello May 1l, 1926 531,051 Marquart Dec. 18, 1894 364,835 Maloy June 14, 188'7 818,682 Gibson Apr 24, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,995 Germany May 8, 1926 

